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More than 100 Nursing Assistants on the Minnesota Registry have been trained using the OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training curriculum. With a pass-rate trending 5 percent higher than the state average, we are happy with the continued success of OnTrack in the program’s inaugural year.   

The new food code that takes effect Jan. 1 will require retail food establishments that serve or sell raw or undercooked animal food will need to use a consumer advisory. Minnesota food code specifies how to inform consumers of potential health risks from eating raw or undercooked animal food:  

The midterm election brought some big changes for members of Congress with jurisdiction over aging services issues, as well as a fresh outlook on what may be accomplished in the upcoming lame duck session and in the new Congress that will convene in January. 

The traditional notion of a “senior” is no longer relevant, and the preferences and desires of today’s older adult is driving changes in senior living focused on an active lifestyle, outside community and avenues to share experiences, skills, knowledge and wisdom. In 6 Trends Changing the Face of Intergenerational Senior Living, Senior Housing News interviewed more than 20 leaders leading the change.  

Is your work place safe?  Are you OSHA compliant? Through the free Workplace Safety Consultation service from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites, improve their safety management systems and even apply for a safety grant of up to $10,000 to abate safety hazards.  

After the RAI manual updates were released for October 2018, an errata document was posted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website concerning J2000: Prior Surgery. In the Coding Tips on page J-35, there were three criteria for a procedure to be classified as major surgery and now there are only two criteria:   

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) yesterday published new rates for services under the Elderly Waiver (EW) program and other waiver programs that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019. The new rates reflect the impact of the EW rate reform that the Long-Term Care Imperative was able to pass in 2017.    

Nursing Assistant Training programs in Minnesota each offer their own unique Train the Trainer programs, requiring the RN to take the training that is associated with the curriculum they are preparing to teach. The OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training program offers its own unique, online and on-demand Train the Trainer program. OnTrack RN Trainers DO NOT take the MNSCU training.  

Workforce continues to be the one universal challenge that LeadingAge Minnesota members face, and now you can help us figure out our “moon shot” on workforce.   

The Dec. 6 Quality Conference will feature a full day of sessions devoted to help organizations improve quality. Learn how to instill a culture of safety in your organization that helps prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation of the people you serve.  

The LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is excited to announce our Third Annual Silent Auction that will take place as part of the 2019 Institute. Thanks to the generosity of the LeadingAge Minnesota community, our previous auctions have raised almost $20,000 to support the critical work of the Foundation. With your help we can make this year’s auction even more successful.  

For the first time since 1998, Minnesota will have a new statewide rule for retail food establishment operations, including Food and Beverage Licensees operating in Senior Care and Housing Settings. The new code requirements for retail food establishments will be effective on Jan. 1, 2019. Over the next few months, the Food Safety Partnership of Minnesota will be your source to learn about:  

Augustana Care and Elim Care last week announced their new name: Cassia. The name evokes both organizations’ commitment to healing, wholeness and their quest for solutions that help those they serve to live well.  

The first report in the Adult Day Services studies being conducted by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has been released and could provide some insight into potential legislative initiatives for the upcoming legislative session: 

Health Support Specialists (HSS) at the Fall Learning Lab presented quality improvement projects that they designed, launched, tracked and refined over the past year. The quality improvement projects, completed through the ICan initiative with Performance Excellence in Aging Services, were designed to transform care at the bedside. After an incredibly difficult round of judging, three groups were recognized for their quality improvement programs:  

Liz Sether, LeadingAge Minnesota’s long-time Nurse Consultant/Policy Analyst, has decided that the time has come to retire. She will step down from her 27 years of service to our members on Dec. 14. 

When the votes were tallied last night, there was no denying the DFL in Minnesota. DFL candidates for statewide office were victorious in all races, the Minnesota House of Representatives flipped from Republican to DFL control and the DFL in Minnesota flipped two key seats to help Democrats regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives.   

The Minnesota food code effective Jan. 1, 2019 includes the new term: highly susceptible population. The term identifies both who they are and where they are. A highly susceptible population means persons who are more likely than others in the general population to experience foodborne disease because they are:  

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports are now available for review prior to the January 2019 public display of the performance data on the Nursing Home Compare site. Corrections to the underlying data are not permitted, but providers can request a CMS review if they believe their data scores are being displayed inaccurately. Requests for review must be made by Nov. 30.  

Drug diversion has accounted for 15 percent of substantiated Vulnerable Adult Act (VAA) cases in Minnesota nursing homes and home care/assisted living organizations this year. A webinar on Nov. 27 from 11 a.m. to Noon will discuss factors that are contributing to these cases and strategies to prevent diversion from happening in your organization. 

LeadingAge Minnesota extends our deep appreciation and gratitude to Bruce Glanzer, CEO/President of The Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids, for his years of dedicated service to our field and our association. Bruce has announced his retirement effective Jan. 11. Mike Stordahl, who has served as the Administrator at Clara City Care Center, has been named the new CEO/President and will join the Good Shepherd team on Jan. 2.  

LeadingAge CAST released a new Safety Technologies Toolkit that will help members prevent falls, the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older adults.  

The monumental transformation of the Skilled Nursing Facility environment -- and the magnitude and pace of these changes -- poses a great threat to some organizations while creating opportunities for the more nimble and innovative provider, according to the 33^rd Edition of the Skilled Nursing Facility Cost Comparison Report recently released by CliftonLarsonAllen. 

An amendment recently introduced in Congress could push back the admission of foreign nurses in the United States by several years. The amendment would remove the per-country cap on visas for highly skilled immigrants and instead allocate the visas on a first-come, first served basis according to how long an applicant has waited for a visa. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the addition of new data to Nursing Home Compare. The following measures have been added: 

Food and beverage licensees must employ a Certified Food Protection Manager under the revised food code. This position is currently known as the Certified Food Manager. While the requirements remain similar, members should be aware and ready to comply with the changes.

A free training on Nov. 8 will cover tools and resources that Home and Community-Based Services providers use for end-of-life care and hospice, palliative care and serious illness, POLST, Advance Care Directives and Veteran’s benefits. 

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) Workplace Safety Consultation Unit has announced continuation of its safety hazard abatement matching grant program. Employers covered by workers’ compensation insurance, and those approved as self-insured employers, are eligible to apply for safety/health matching grants up to $10,000 to abate safety hazards in their workplace.  

LeadingAge has launched the Center for Managed Care Solutions & Innovation, a one-stop shop of tools, resources, and education to help members succeed in managed care, integrated services and other alternative payment models. 

The Dec. 6 Quality Conference features a full day of sessions devoted to helping organizations improve quality. Performance Excellence Network’s Brian Lassiter will lead a session on creating a culture of excellence throughout your organization from the board room to the front lines of care.